Chicago's where I and my wife, Karen, call home, but I've lived all over from Portland, OR, to Houston, TX, to London, England. I love running and volunteer for the Chicago Area Runner's Association's (CARA) 1/2 marathon training program as a pace group leader. While I've run a marathon (London 2003), I find the 1/2 marathon the perfect distance for me. As Managing Director of Lameer Group, a boutique IT consulting company, I enjoy keeping abreast of the latest trends in IT Operations technologies, meeting talented IT professionals, and helping to solve challenging business problems. A typical day for me is spent building my business, writing articles, working on my book, and studying for the GMAT. Chess is an addiction for me and I kick the habit from time to time. For now, I've fallen off the wagon and am loving every minute of it. I'm an average player, and I'd like to get better. I've never been officially rated, however; based on countless puzzles I've attempted on the tactical chess server, my rating is estimated at about 845. Yes, much room for improvement is there. I love the puzzles here and the community is full of great people.